In Mendocino County’s Anderson Valley, Roederer Estate has quietly produced some of California’s most elegant sparkling wines for more than four decades. Known for its méthode traditionnelle and for its estate-grown fruit, the winery reflects a seamless blend of French heritage and Northern California terroir. It has long been a favored stop for oenophiles who traverse the wine-rich region.
Now, a new tasting room, the Roederer Estate Hospitality Center, offers visitors a refreshed experience—rooted in legacy and shaped by contemporary sensibility. Julia Rouzaud, daughter of former Louis Roederer president Jean-Claude Rouzaud, led the redesign, and the transformation beautifully blends heritage with a fresh, contemporary vision. “This was a personal project,” says Rouzaud, a seventh-generation member of the Roederer family. As a direct descendant of Louis Roederer, Rouzaud’s grandmother was Camille Olry Roederer. Her father, Jean-Claude Rouzaud, was the sixth-generation president of the storied house; her brother Frédéric is its current steward. “It’s not just a winery. It’s a family house. That makes the project even more meaningful to me.”
Rouzaud grew up immersed in the culture of Champagne. She was raised in the historic Hôtel Particulier in Reims, the heart of Maison Louis Roederer and its headquarters, and as a child, she traveled often with her parents to vineyards and wineries. That early exposure shaped her eye and her understanding of what it means to create beauty with intention. “I was surrounded by the story,” she says. “The vineyards, the architecture, the way my parents worked. I absorbed it all.”
Their Anderson Valley estate, founded in 1982, represents the family's rare transatlantic chapter—one Rouzaud has now helped redefine. Her mother designed the original tasting room in the early 1990s. Revisiting the space decades later was emotional. “She shaped my taste,” says Rouzaud. “This wasn’t about replacing her. It felt like a silent collaboration. It was about continuing the dialogue—with my own voice. I wanted to honor her legacy while adding my own perspective.”
The redesign opens up the space. A new entrance welcomes visitors with more intention. A retail area highlights the full Roederer portfolio. Inside, built-in benches invite guests to stay longer. Outside, a transformed terrace draws guests toward the surrounding landscape—vineyards gently undulating into the forested hills, the air scented with eucalyptus and cool Pacific breezes. It’s a setting that feels removed from the bustle of better-known wine country, and that’s part of its charm. Anderson Valley remains one of California’s most quietly compelling regions: cooler than Napa or Sonoma, with a marine influence that produces Pinot Noir and Chardonnay of exceptional nuance—and sparkling wines of rare finesse.
Rouzaud found inspiration in the wildness of Anderson Valley. “There’s something raw and honest about it,” she says. She preserved the original wooden paneling, contrasting it with terracotta, linen, and glazed lava stone. Mid-century California lines mix with Japanese restraint.
At the center is a custom-designed bar, built in collaboration with French artist Aurélien Veyrat. Made from reclaimed bricks, the piece resembles a sculptural totem that mirrors the geological complexity of the valley’s soils. “It’s a poetic nod to the terroir; a sculptural homage to the land,” notes Rouzaud. “Terroir is the soul of any great wine. That’s where the wine begins.”
The VIP room has also been reimagined. The design is quieter, warmer. It’s a space meant for conversation and reflection. “I wanted it to feel intimate, but not exclusive,” says Rouzaud. “This is a place you arrive at deliberately. It should feel worth the journey.”
Based in Paris, Rouzaud runs her own interior design studio where she works on projects for public and private clients, from fashion and design brands to private residences. She also founded Goodmoods, a digital magazine in which she explores trends and aesthetics. “For me, every project is about storytelling — creating spaces that have meaning and soul.”
The new tasting room at Roederer Estate is just that— elegant and intentional, with a deep connection to both place and history.
Open 7 days a week from 10am – 5pm. Tastings can be booked online at www.roedererestate.com.
Photos courtesy of Roederer Estate
